Fighting in Libya

Looks like Libya is heading for a civil war. Not that there ever was a war that was "civil". The rebels are pushing towards Tripoli and Khadaffi's forces are fighting back. This is probably going to be a prolonged situation that will affect everyone, since it will affect the price of oil, which has jumped tremendously in the last few weeks. It's (as of today) at $104.91 per barrel and will probably continue to rise. So much for the economic recovery. Here's hoping that things end quickly in Libya and Khadaffi gets it and gets the hell out and lets the Libyan people decide their own destiny.

Civil War in Libya?

Looks like there may be a civil war starting in Libya, since neither side seems to have the military strength for a decisive victory. The rebels pretty much hold the eastern half of the country and a few cities near Tripoli and Khadaffi's forces hold the rest. According to some reports, the rebels have been capturing tanks, artillery and other military hardware. This situation will probably go on for a while and will most likely cause oil prices to skyrocket as the speculators pee their pants. I think the rebels will want to keep the oil flowing so the money will keep coming in. I think the day of the Middle East despot is coming to an end. Here's hoping all the people in the Middle East will free themselves from the dictators they've been suffering under and be able to have the chance to choose their leaders and progress and modernize their countries. Here's hoping.

Al Queda Fading?

Could it be that the democracy movements in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere my put Al Queda out of business, or at least make it irrelevant? Could be. According to an article in the New York Times, (Link) that may be happening. The protests have been (relatively) peaceful, non-religious and the protestors have only used force to defend themselves. Not exactly Al Queda's game plan. The question remains whether they will use the uprisings for their own ends or fade into obscurity and become a footnote in the long history of the Middle East. We'll find out soon enough. Let me know what you think about this.

Election Day

Well, it's election day once again and yes, I got out and voted. There are those who think that in the grand scheme of things, one vote won't make a difference. Well folks, it does. It makes all the difference in the world. You have the right to vote, so exercise that right every election. If you don't vote, DON'T BITCH! If you didn't vote, then you have absolutely NO RIGHT to complain about who got or didn't get elected or which party (not that there's a lot of difference these days) has the majority. If you did vote, then gripe away. You've earned the right to complain. We live in interesting times and if you're familiar with it, there's an ancient Chinese curse that goes: "May you live in interesting times". The fact is that "interesting times" tend to be the most turbulent and unsettled. Uninteresting times tend to be rather calm and a bit boring. Once again, the US (and the world) are in a time of flux and change. It's going to be a while (a long one, from the looks of it) before things start to settle down again. Between economic chaos, terrorism, wars, technological change and social upheaval, things are a bit more interesting than most people like. Societies are very resistant to change, yet change they must to survive. If a society stagnates, then it eventually withers and dies. Maintaining the "status quo" is a sure way to kill a society. There are plenty of archeological sites of societies that kept the status quo. That's why they're archeological sites.